1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bank-note processing device for determining the authenticity of bank notes introduced thereinto and accumulating and holding genuine notes in a stacker.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, devices such as automatic vending machines, and the like, are equipped with bank-note processing devices for determining the authenticity of an introduced bank note and accommodating the genuine notes.
A bank-note processing device of this kind generally comprises the four following constituent elements.
(1) A device body comprising casing provided with a bank-note input opening.
(2) Bank note conveyor belt means, provided inside the device body, for conveying input bank notes inside the device body.
(3) Bank note identifying means, provided inside the device body, for determining the authenticity of the bank notes conveyed by the bank-note conveyor belt means.
(4) Bank note accommodating means comprising a stacker for accommodating bank notes regarded as genuine by the bank-note identifying means.
A bank note inserted into the bank-note input opening of the device body is conveyed inside the device body by the bank-note conveyor belt means comprising a conveyor belt driven in rotation by a motor, or the like, and whilst being conveyed in this manner, the authenticity of the bank note is determined by bank-note identifying means comprising bank-note identifying sensors, such as magnetic heads, photosensors, or the like.
If the input bank note is judged by the bank-note identifying means to be a false note, then the conveyor belt of the bank-note conveyor belt means is reversed and the input bank note judged to be false is conveyed back via the bank-note input opening.
If the input bank note is judged by the bank-note identifying means to be a genuine note, then it is conveyed by the bank-note conveyor belt means to the stacker, inside which it is accommodated.
The present invention is a bank-note processing device comprising, at the least, bank-note conveyor belt means for conveying a bank note inserted via a bank-note input opening, along an substantially U-shaped bank-note conveyance passage, by a conveyor belt; bank-note identifying means for identifying the authenticity of the bank note; and bank-note accommodating means for accommodating bank notes which are regarded by the bank-note identifying means to be genuine notes, provided inside a device body; wherein a unit box comprising at the least the bank-note conveyor belt means and the bank-note identifying means, and excluding the bank-note accommodating means, is installed in an openable and closable manner in the device body, in such a manner that the portion of the conveyor belt facing the bank-note input opening can be exposed.